SUJET d'Anglais
France Métropolitaine - Section S - Juin 2000

I. TEXTE

It was contrary to his routine to work after dinner but tonight he did
he felt so much in the vein.

Indeed, a sort of exaltation possessed him; the words ran off his pen;
it would be foolish to check the creative impulse for the sake of a
little extra sleep. On, on. They were right who said the small hours
were the time to work. When his housekeeper came in to say good night,
he scarcely raised
his eyes.

In the warm, snug little room the silence purred around him like a
kettle.
He did not even hear the doorbell tilt it had been ringing for some
time.

A visitor at this hour?

His knees trembling, he went to the door, scarcely knowing what he
expected to find; so what was

his relief, on opening it, to see the doorway filled by the tall figure
of a policeman. Without waiting

for the man to speak, "Come in, come in, my dear fellow," he exclaimed.
He held his hand out, but

the policeman did not take it. "You must have been very cold standing
out there. I didn't know that

it was snowing, though," he added, seeing the snowflakes on the
policeman's cape and helmet.

"Come in and warm yourself."

"Thanks," said the policeman. "I don’t mind if I do."

Walter knew enough of the phrases used by men of the policeman's stamp
not to mistake this for a grudging acceptance. "This way," he prattled
on. "I was writing in my study. By Jove, it is cold, I'll turn the gas
on more. Now won't you take your traps off, and make yourself at home?"

"But nothing can happen to me as long as you are here," said Walter. "I
shall be as safe... as safe

as houses. Stay as long as you can, and have a drink."
w

"I never drink on duty," said the policeman. Still in his cape and
helmet, he looked round. "So this is where you work?" he said.

"Yes, I was writing when you rang.

"Some poor devil's for it, I expect," the policeman said.

"Oh, why?" Walter was hurt by his unfriendly tone, and noticed how hard
his gooseberry eyes were.

"I'll tell you in a minute," said the policeman, and then the telephone
bell rang. Walter excused himself and hurried from the room.

"This is the police station," said a voice. "Is that Mr. Streeter'?"

Walter said it was.

"Well, Mr. Streeter, how is everything at your place? All right, I hope?
I’ll tell you why I ask. I’m sorry to say we quite forgot about that
little job we were going to do for you. Bad coordination, I’m afraid.
"But, " said Walter, "you did send someone."

"No, Mr. Streeter, I’m afraid we didn't."

"But there's a policeman here, here in this very house."

There was a pause, then his interlocutor said, in a less casual voice:

"He can't be one of our chaps. Did you see his number by any chance?"

"No."

After another pause the voice said:

"Would you like us to send somebody now?"

"Yes, please."

"All right then, we'll be with you in a jiffy."

Walter put back the receiver. What now? he asked himself. Should he
barricade the door? Should he run out into the street? Should he try to
muse his housekeeper? A policeman of any sort was something to be
reckoned with: but a rogue policeman!
A lawkeeper turned lawbreaker, roaming about loose, savaging people!
How long would it take the real police to come? What was a jiffy in
terms of minutes? While he was debating, the door opened and his guest
came in.

"No room's private when the street door's once passed," he said. "Had
you forgotten I was a policeman?"

..........d) l. 16-17: "not to mistake this for a grudging acceptance" =
......................................................................................................................................................................

e) l.41: “would you like us to send somebody”=
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2 Complete the following chart as shown in the example.

Adjective

Noun

Verb

example

silent

silence

to silence

foolish (l. 2)

warm (l. 6)

relief (l. 10)

safe (l. 20)

to hope (l. 32)

3 Put the following sentences into reported speech using the prompts
given.

a) line 14 "Come in and warm yourself."

He invited
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

He said
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

He replied
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

He wanted to know
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

He agreed and added
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

He was not used to
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

No sooner.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

d) I’m sorry to say we quite forgot about that little job we were going
to do for you.

I
apologize for
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................